Thing: Project Pegasus by Ralph MacchioMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
When the Thing breaks into Project Pegasus looking for Wundarr, he inadvertently gets involved in a plot that could destroy the world...
Aunt Petunia's favorite nephew has long been one of my favorite characters, both as a member of the Fantastic Four or headlining Marvel Two-In-One with various guest stars. After a disappointing comic convention experience, I snapped this up using Amazon points.
Project Pegasus collects #42-43, #53-58, and Avengers #236-237. The Avengers issues, while involving Project Pegasus, don't really have a lot to do with the main tale. Coming on the heels of The Thing: Cry Monster, The Thing goes looking for his surrogate nephew, Wundarr, and winds up getting pulled into the day to day operation at the facility.
You may remember Project Pegasus from such films as Captain Marvel. In this incarnation, it's an alternative energy research installation and also a prison for super villains. Quasar is the head of security. When someone gets some big ideas about Project Pegasus, The ever-lovin' blue eyed Thing charges to the rescue.
This book is a slice of Bronze-Age Marvel goodness. Spawned in during the gas crisis of the late 1970s, it only makes sense that Project Pegasus would try to harness the energies of super beings to power the plant. Benjamin J. Grimm teams up with Captain America, Quasar, and some of the '70s finest like Thundra, Deathlok, Man-Thing, and Bill Foster, aka Black Goliath, aka Giant-Man.
Project Pegasus isn't a deep work but it's a lot of fun. It's a big reminder of why The Thing was a headliner back in the day. Underneath his rocky exterior, he's a softie but still tough as hell. Wundarr's metamorphosis from Superman analog to cosmic Jesus is just beginning by the end of the story.
The art team on Project Pegasus is kick ass. George Perez, Sal Buscema, and John Byrne grace the pages, as well as Al Milgrom, Joe Sinnot, and many others. Ralph Macchio and Mark Gruenwald provide above average writing. They aren't Alan Moore but they do showcase the serial storytelling that's missing in comics today, self-contained issues that still build toward something.
The Thing: Project Pegasus is an enjoyable epic from the days of the gas crisis, the days when Marvel's top tough guy was Benjamin J. Grimm. Four out of five stars.
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